1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a shock absorber housing supporting apparatus for a vehicle and, more particularly, to a shock absorber housing supporting apparatus for a vehicle capable of enhancing shock-absorbing performance in the occurrence of a vehicle collision.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, shock-absorbing performance refers to performance for alleviating shock power (or impact force) when two objects collide.
Recently, stability of a vehicle, among vehicle performance, has come to prominence. Vehicle stability includes shock-absorbing performance in case of a vehicle collision. Also, shock-absorbing performance greatly weighs in vehicle merchantable quality. Of course, in order to alleviate a shock transmission to a passenger in the occurrence of a vehicle collision, various devices such as an air bag, a seat belt and the like, are used. However, prior to performance of the safety devices, shock-absorbing performance of a vehicle body should be enhanced.
A shock absorber is a device for stabilizing a vehicle body against an external shock or impact. Also, a shock absorber makes a spring smoothly operate in canceling out shock applied thereto or alleviate vibrations of the spring. Meanwhile, a shock absorber housing is a housing in which a shock absorber is installed.
A front body of a vehicle is where an engine or front wheel suspension, a radiator, and a steering gear box, and the like are installed, requiring rigidity (or stiffness). Also, in case of a front engine front wheel driving (FF) vehicle, since an engine room is installed in the front body, rigidity of the front body is of high importance. Thus, the front body should be designed to alleviate shock power and protect a passenger in a vehicle in the occurrence of a vehicle collision.
A front side member, a member forming a frame of the front body, is installed in both sides of a lower front portion of a front floor constituting a bottom of a front portion of a compartment and a dash board partitioning the front body and the interior of the compartment. The front side member has a structure for mainly blocking (or absorbing) a shock applied to the suspension. Also, the front side member serves to support a front bumper.
The shock absorber housing is installed on the front side member. Also, the shock absorber housing is coupled to upper portions of the front side member and a fender apron through spot welding.
The fender apron refers to a portion positioned at an inner side of a fender and partitioning a wheel and an engine room. Also, the fender apron supports force transmitted from the suspension and protects various components.
As described above, the shock absorber is mounted in the shock absorber housing and the suspension is supported in a peripheral region, so the shock absorber housing requires high rigidity relative to other portions of the vehicle body.
Namely, when rigidity of the shock absorber housing is degraded, rigidity of the front body is degraded to result in making bad influence on the shock absorbing performance in the occurrence of a vehicle collision.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.